ATLANTA (AP) - A man who says he was fired by Caterpillar Inc. because he wasn't able to urinate for a drug test sued the equipment giant Wednesday, alleging discrimination.
The plaintiff says he suffers from paruresis, more commonly known as shy bladder syndrome, and was physically unable to urinate into a specimen cup despite having drunk several glasses of water and being given three hours to complete the task.
Tom Smith, a 55-year-old assembly line worker, was suspended by Caterpillar a day after the aborted test in November, and dismissed Dec. 5.
"This is supposed to be a country where losing a job for a disorder like that shouldn't be a problem," said Smith, who worked at the company's Griffin plant more than three years. "It's just a matter of simple justice."
http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/WeirdNews/2004/05/19/465665-ap.html
The plaintiff says he suffers from paruresis, more commonly known as shy bladder syndrome, and was physically unable to urinate into a specimen cup despite having drunk several glasses of water and being given three hours to complete the task.
Tom Smith, a 55-year-old assembly line worker, was suspended by Caterpillar a day after the aborted test in November, and dismissed Dec. 5.
"This is supposed to be a country where losing a job for a disorder like that shouldn't be a problem," said Smith, who worked at the company's Griffin plant more than three years. "It's just a matter of simple justice."
http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/WeirdNews/2004/05/19/465665-ap.html
